Burnouts
by Kuddleh Kay
Summary: It's been twenty years since the rise of Air Treks and the need for them has died down, but now something new has surfaced. Few have mastered them, these few including the Kings and the underground expert AT riders that no one had known about - until now.
1. Debut

She neared the corner, catching speed with every movement. Her speed was no less than one hundred and twenty miles per hour. A smile played across her thin lips as sparks flew with the weight shifting slowly to the back of her heels, her velocity gradually gaining even more so.

"Maya, slow down, you're going too fast into the turn. You're going to skid out!" yelled a voice from behind her. The girl snorted and turned her head slightly to the side so that one ice-blue eye peered out towards the tall figure that raced towards her with a pace that could not match the one that consistently rose further – she knew that no one could catch her.

"You worry too much, Ao. Stop being such a leader!" Maya yelled back, cocking her head to the side so that her voice was more audible over the screeching of her Burnouts.

"Dammit," Ao muttered under her breath. Leaning back onto her heels, she tried to somewhat match her teammates' speed,f though she knew she couldn't compare to her when Maya was in her "Dark Detainment" mood.

"Dammit, Maya, stop! You're going to sk-" She was cut short as the girls' feet slid out from under her and was carried across the asphalt. "No!" Ao screamed as she shifted all her weight to her heels, urging her Burnouts to cross from "danger" to "ignorance" before allowing her body to defy all possible laws of gravity as she stretched out horizontally to catch her comrade before she could ram into anything.

As the two halted, Ao shook Maya's shoulder lightly, frantically searching for any signs that she might not wake up anymore than rolling her head around when someone moved her torso. Blood dripped from a large gash that ran from her right temple to near her jaw. A coughing fit sent Ao into near-hysterics as she probed along every inch of the girl's body. A pair of Burnouts skidded to a halt next to her, sending sparks flying in her direction; she covered her face with a gloved hand, protecting it from the bright flame-like dots of light. There was a sort of _tsk, tsk _sound coming from the figure that stood over her and Maya. "She didn't slow into the turn." Ao shook her head in disbelief, "It inclined upwards as you went further into it. She didn't listen." Naoki chuckled darkly and crouched besides her teammates.

"Idiot," she murmured softly as Maya's eyes opened halfway.

"Oh, shut up, Naoki! You didn't know half that shit either." Her words were somewhat slurred, but otherwise she showed no signs of her head ever hitting the cement they now sat upon. The streetlamp above the three flickered slightly and they all glared at it before Ao and Naoki rose to their feet and helped support Maya with their shoulders.

"Next time, listen to me, or at least try and slow it down some; I'm not going to be paying for your hospital bill _again_." Ao hissed through clenched teeth. Maya noticed the extra emphasis on the last part and grunted, wrinkling her nose is distaste.

"And I don't want to be paying for your funeral bill – what with having to pay for caskets, and flowers and sticking your dumb ass into the ground; I might end up doing that last part just because!" Naoki added casually. Maya rolled her eyes and looked back at Ao, who had been interrupted.

"As I was saying," she looked patronizingly at Naoki, "I want you to slow it down some during practice. You don't need to be getting hospitalized when our next match is, three days away; and by seeing you do that I can't be sure." Shaking her head she let her weight alter to speed up their pace; she didn't like the feeling knotting in her stomach.

"You really are an idiot, Maya. Did you hear nothing at the meeting? We didn't set this up as a place to test your speed limits; it's an exact replica of the Roaring Winds' turf down in the Eastern Valley. If we are going to beat the shit out of them we need to know every inch of their territory. It wasn't easy to get this place built, so be thankful I have connections." Maya simply nodded, smiling as a figure approached them on foot.

"Inori!" Naoki and Maya looked up at the sudden outburst. Grinning, Ao shrugged away from the two making Naoki support all of Maya's weight as the two rolled along slowly. Ao looked Nori up and down, taking in his no longer white hair - he had taken on a more over-the-top neon orange that went well with his burgundy eyes - and the long, slender arms that carefully pulled her into a warm hug. Through his Alice Nine shirt she could feel moderate muscles working in unison as he gripped her - he wasn't anorexic, but he didn't have a heavy build either. Her eyes traveled up his well-kept torso to his face which was not round anymore, but more prominent with age. She snorted as her eyes fell upon the eye patch. "What the fuck is that for? When did you lose an eye?"

"Ah, never..." he stammered before pulling the bottom of the eye patch up with long slender fingers and winking at her. "Peek-a-boo!" he said, sticking his tongue out at Maya, her petite five-four frame being supported by Naoki still.

"Long time, no see, girls."

He bit his lip, holding back a laugh, as he carefully embraced Naoki and Maya in an awkward hug. "Been getting your ass whooped by the cement again, Dark?" She hissed at him, then smiled and flung herself at him, the blood still dripping from the cut on her evenly-proportioned face.

Naoki smiled, her cheekbones even on her face, not quite high but nor were they dramatically low either. Her lips were thinner than average, but they fit her facial structure nicely. Her stomach had hardly any fat and her legs were well-muscled. Her eyes were colored a deep chocolate, the color that went with her dark russet hair and slightly tanned complexion. She was an all-around athlete - broad shoulders and muscled legs with enough power to kick through a moderately thick wall. Maya, on the other hand, was tall and lean, not enough meat on her bones to be called an athlete, but a damn good fighter. Her legs seemed thinner than Naoki's, but beneath the skin she had a lot more force behind her kicks - she once sent Ao flying into the next room during a sparring match. Her arms were more defined as the muscle was more prominent, but still were wiry and thin. Her hair fell to just above her slender waist and was a few shades lighter than the wet pavement under them. The color of her almond-shaped eyes were a dark brown that spiraled into darker shades, falling into black right before her pupil.

"You are so... what's the word I'm looking for?" Questioned Naoki, flicking his forehead. He blinked once and scowled playfully at her. "Oh yeah! Obnoxious and mainstream." Maya giggled beside her as she wrapped her arm around her shoulder. Ao looked at her, apparently questioning her sanity.

"Wouldn't that be two words?" she asked in a light tone. Growling, Naoki pushed Maya against Inori and began chasing Ao around the pair, making small circles that formed bigger ones as Ao slipped around, obviously faster than Naoki. Naoki laughed and turned the other direction quickly. Trapping Ao, by changing directions too quick for her to realize, she grasped her forearms and pushed her onto the ground, sitting on her torso with her behind and pushed her shoulders down with her hands. Making a disgusting wet sound with the back of her throat, Naoki proceeded to dangle saliva over her face as Ao squirmed beneath her slight figure. "EW! GET OFF OF ME! THAT'S SO GROSS!" She all but yelled at Naoki, struggling to get her arms free from beneath the girls' legs.

Eventually, one arm was released and she shoved with immense force, knocking Naoki backwards off of her. Jumping to her feet, she crouched low, prepared for another ambush. Naoki sat up from being sprawled across the wet concrete and rubbed her head.

"Ow! That hurt, Ao! You. Are. _SO_. Cruel." She enunciated each word, clearly annoyed. Looking somewhat concerned, Inori walked slowly towards Naoki, who was continuously rubbing the back of her head.

"Don't worry about them. This is an ongoing battle that has yet to be crowned a winner," said Maya to the slowly retreating boy, who still watched with complete disapproval towards Ao and concern for Naoki. Maya laughed and squeezed her arm against his neck, nearly cutting off his breathing. "When did you get back in town?" The others looked up, instantly interested in Inori rather than their dispute over a winner.

"Two days ago. Staying with my distant cousin for a few weeks so I can see you guys race. I heard from a reliable source that you are going against a rival team that has been fawning over your position for months!" He wagged his eyebrows at the three - Maya had now joined Ao and Naoki, taking her place within the middle of them.

"I'm guessing that source was Yumi?" laughed Ao, leaning forward slightly to peer around Naoki's arm, which had been draped over his shoulder. Giggling, she turned away from the others, hardly containing her laughter.

"Go ahead, let it out."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the trio burst into simultaneous laughter. "Did you shrink or something? I didn't realize how short you were until just now, seeing as Naoki _and _Maya are both taller than you," howled Ao, clutching at her stomach as the fit of laughter sent her into near-hysterics.

"Well, Ao, we can't all be freakishly tall with huge boobs that match her ego." Maya and Naoki doubled over, falling onto the cement, tears in their eyes.

Blushing slightly, Ao sped forward and jabbed him in the forehead with two fingers. "Have your balls dropped yet? I can't even tell if your voice has deepened; still squeaky and breaks at random intervals. Aw... Poor Nori hasn't reached puberty yet." The laughing figures climbed to their feet and stood beside Ao, restraining her arms as well as covering her mouth.

"Sorry, Norikins. I forgot to tell you that along with her big ego, she has a big mouth that fits her sharp tongue. Can't keep her contained sometimes," Naoki apologized swiftly before her and Maya began dragging the kicking girl backwards. "Calm down, Ao. It was only a joke. Though, I must say that you are on the right side of the fence with this one." She peered sideways at Inori, who stood with his nose in the air and his foot tapping quickly, like a scene out of a chick flick. The three burst into a roar of laughter and surrounded the neon-haired boy. Their arms pulled him into a long, group hug.

"All is forgiven, dears. Now, as I was saying. I'm here to see your match against Roaring Winds. Any ideas on when that is going down? You can't even find that shit on Google. No date, no time, nothing. Zip." He held his hand up, showing a large zero with his pointer finger and thumb. They looked at each other, pursing their lips in unison. "Don't tell me you don't even know!"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Of course we know! What, did you think we weren't going to know our own battle that _we _set up?" She gestured to the two girls standing side by side next to him.

After that comment, Naoki piped in with a sing-song voice. "We know. We're just not telling. Ao had us lock away the date so the world won't know until it's the exact day. No tickets necessary; you show up, you watch us win. End of story." She nodded in approval, smiling. A flame burned deep within her eyes that couldn't be easily controlled.

"Simmer down some, Skim. The battle isn't until..." Ao looked up at Inori through narrowed eyes - he appeared to be much closer than a few seconds earlier. "Well, you know when it is. So we'll just keep practicing until then."

Naoki cheered in agreement, "Here, here! And I promise not to be like Maya and disregard your comments about practicing." She shot a glance at Maya, who was, apparently, trying to contain her rising urge to dismember, and then burn, Naoki's body. Ao rolled her eyes, scowling at the two.

"Shut up!" Smacking both of them once across the back of the head, she sped forward towards their house, preparing to have to work with Maya's flailing limbs as she patched up _another_ one of her injuries. _'Thank god I don't have to go the emergency room again. I don't think it's a good thing when the nurses and doctors know you by name. And not just you, but Naoki and Maya.'_ she thought to herself, shaking her head in utter disbelief. "Ridiculous," she murmured softly, twisting the key in the lock and turning the door knob. Her ear twitched slightly, like in a stupid cartoon, but not so much, and she turned to see a car swerving done the street. Looking down from the atop the stairs - their apartment was on the fourth floor - she saw her friends standing together in a close group, waiting for her to return with the first-aid kit and some drinks. The car's tires screeched and she wondered why her friends couldn't hear it, but before she could do anything the car sped forward towards the group.

Looking on in horror, she saw Naoki jump at Maya, knocking her out of the way and landing hard on her shoulder with an ear splitting crack. Inori dodged the car swiftly, rolling out and landing in a low crouch on one knee – it was so ninja-like. The car swerved around and halted, the window rolling down quickly and, such a scene from a movie, a gun appeared out the window, a gloved hand holding it. Maya hovered over Naoki's body protectively, shielding it with her own as a round of gunshots were fired, one hitting her in the left calf and another echoing of the building, having scraped Inori's arm. Ao ducked as a shot was fired at her as well.

Grinding her teeth together she jumped over the side of the stairs, grinding down the gutter with immense speed. Clearly pissed, Ao nearly hugged the wall as she slid into a crouch, her hands behind her and her velocity gaining. Not slowing as the ground came nearer she jumped off the swerving gutter and sped towards the car, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her face was blank and she slid to a halt next to the car, opening the door as the tires screeched deafeningly. Cringing, she released the door handle before it could rip her arm out of its socket. Tears filled her eyes and she fell to her knees, unable to look over at her friends who were in desperate pain.

Naoki groaned in agony while Maya lay unconscious next to her, blood spilling from the wound on her leg. Sucking in a deep breath, Inori winced and walked slowly towards them.

"We need to go the hospital, Ao. Where's your phone?" Inori asked, pain ringing in every word he spoke. Unable to speak, Ao slumped forward, tears falling down her expressionless face. "Ao!" yelled Inori, desperate for her to tell him where her cell was. Taking the slender phone from her pocket, she dialed with quick, numb fingers. Every inch of her body was numb and had no feeling. She knew her friends weren't dead and there was still hope, but having seen that someone wanted them dead she couldn't help but shake and sob silently.

"We need an ambulance; maybe two." she said, her voice cracking in the middle of her sentence. "No! I refuse to hold! My friends are hurt badly and I don't want them to..." She cringed away at the word and backtracked. "Look! Just get me a fucking ambulance as soon as possible or it won't be good." She paused, listening to the tiny voice on the other end.

"Ma'am, there is no need to threaten me. What is your location?" The voice said quickly, obviously aggravated by Ao's tone and voice.

"I wasn't fucking threatening you, just get me a damn ambulance and stop arguing with me! You know damn well who I am and where we are."Shutting the phone with a loud _snap_! that she felt throughout her entire body, Ao stood slowly, her knees trembling, about to buckle under her weight.

"Ao. They are fine. Don't worry. Maya is conscious and Naoki is -"

"No! They aren't fine!" Ao interrupted him, her voice threatening to give away her desperate attempts at controlling herself. "Do you see them?! They are not fine!" Whirling around to face him she shouted angrily. "Both of them are hurt and I'm not. I would give anything to be in their place right now just so they would be fine!"

Naoki sat up, cringing as her shoulder moved."Ao, calm down. Take deep breaths. Both of us are alive. We just need to be patched up and we'll be good as new." Naoki whispered and checked Maya over, looking for any other wounds.

"I won't forgive whoever did this and they sure as hell aren't going to escape what they deserve." Ao murmured, her eyes looking at the ground, rather than her friends. The rain began to fall around them and tears fell down her face. The wail of an ambulance closed in on them and soon rounded the corner. Collapsing onto her knees again, she watched as the paramedics loaded her friends into the ambulance and disappeared around the corner again. Sitting in the middle of the street Ao began to sob uncontrollably, the street lamp flickering above her and her make up running down her tear-streaked cheeks.


	2. Cruel Intentions

Looking over the edge of the building, white hair fell gracefully around a petite face with high cheekbones that were covered with ivory skin that glowed under the moonlit night. The sound of Burnouts whispered in the night and crimson eyes moved wildly around, watching each flying spark that shot into the night air as riders tried to maintain riding upon the steel wall of the warehouse. A giggle sounded into the air - a sharp, high pitched frequency that made you want to cover your ears or claw at them to make the sound stop - and the group of riders looked up to see a tiny little girl with multiple chains hanging around her tiny form.

"Who the hell is that?" one of the female squad members called to her team.

"It can't be..." Another one trailed off turning his body away from the child; a shiver rolled through him and he began to ride away.

Like a breath of air on the wind, she was gone, suddenly appearing in front of him, her Burnouts silent. The other riders didn't move, nor did they breathe. Staggering backwards, the leader of the group stumbled and fell onto his butt, desperately trying to get away from the girl who had a look of murderous intent flashing in her eyes and a pointy-toothed smile that could make even the most demented of serial killers stop mid-stride. Cocking her head to the side, the strange child crouched down to look at him, her chains making small tinkling sounds as they hit the cement.

"You look frightened. Did something scare you?" her tone was genuinely concerned, but her bloody eyes held a indescribably, terrifying look. Holding his gaze she stepped forward, her dress wrinkling around her small frame. "Excuse me. I asked if something frightened you." Her tone faltered, anger piercing through. Shaking his head he tripped over the words as they came from his lips, his bronze hair blowing in the ominous wind.

"N-not at-at all." Forcing a smile onto his lips, he began to pick himself up and she grinned at him, her dagger-like teeth stunning him. Standing from her crouch, the team took in what appeared to be a white dress with chains wrapping around it, her arms at her sides. Looking closer, they could see spots of black against the white and looked at each other, puzzled. A sudden burst of laughter sounded from her mouth and she hunched forward, a crazed expression on her face. She licked her lips and looked down at her dress.

"You wonder what is on my dress?" They all stared at her, tensed to run at the slightest movement she made. Laughing a high-pitched sound that gave the whole team goose bumps, she looked up through the hair that had fallen in her face, the murderous glare more prominent than before.

She spoke slowly, but clearly. "My. Victims." Enunciating each word, she watched as their looks varied from horror to terror to disgust and began to dance through the crowd as blood began pouring onto the asphalt and the squad members screams filled the air.

* * *

"Ao, would you please stop pacing?" Naoki all but begged of the girl.

Jumping slightly at the sound of her comrade's voice Ao bit her bottom lip and sat in an hideously patterned blue and gray chair that gave off whiffs of urine and blood. Her knee bounced anxiously and Naoki sighed turning her attention back to the double doors that screamed agony – all that was needed was a neon on a sign flashing 'Death: Enter Here' – and Ao squirmed, looking away from them with wild eyes. Finally losing her patience, Naoki growled and flung a magazine at her. The bundle bounced off the back of the girl's head and Ao jumped to her feet in a panic.

"AO! Would you stop fidgeting?!" Naoki growled menacingly. "Maya is fine and Nori is better than fine! He's perfect, bubbly, magnificent! I don't give a damn which adjective you throw out to describe his stupendous attitude; he's okay and Maya is probably kicking the shut out of any doctor coming within ten feet of her with a syringe."

As if on cue, Maya burst through the doors, scowling. "There's no fucking way you are poking me with that!" Ao and Naoki exchanged bewildered expressions.

"But, Miss, if we don't inject it into your blood you will surely not like the outcome."

Scowling at the man – Niko – she stormed back across the room and poked him, hard, in the chest. "I don't care if I grow two extra legs and webbing in between my toes – there is NO way I'm letting you put the into my system…" She paused. "AGAIN!"

Naoki and Ao exchanged another quick glance and rose fluidly, gliding swiftly over to Maya with slow movements. Hearing the click, click of their Burnouts Maya turned and hurried over to them.

"I'm ready to check out." Glaring back at the man – he was 6'4" with a light build, sand colored hair and a 'you bitch' expression coloring his face – and strode towards the front desk, her long hair swaying just below her wait – there was no limp in her dignified walk.

"So how the hell do we spring you from this, er, asylum?" Naoki wrinkled her nose and stared up at Maya's livid face, watching it soften as she spoke.

"With mentality that none of us have, I would assume." They all sighed in unison and then burst into a roar of laughter.

"Hey, where's Inori? I thought he came to have his wound stitched up." Naoki – whose arm was linked with Maya's – shrugged and Maya repeated the gesture as they departed from the hospital.

As they neared the training area, Naoki paused and released herself from Maya.

"Ao." Ao looked up in response. Naoki spoke slowly, "Inori. Is. Dead."

Ao's eyes went wide and then slowly her expression changed to a black cloud of malice and fury as Naoki began laughing. "Holy shit! You should see your face. Ahahahaha!"

Maya stepped back three steps, away from Naoki and the death emanating from Ao. "Um, Naoki? You might want to run."

"Why, Maya?" She wiped her eyes and gasped as Ao's hands began to clamp around her throat. Slamming down hard on her heels she shot forward, like a rocket, away from Ao and her deadly hands.

"GET BACK HERE! I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!" Shouted Ao over the screeching of hers and Naoki's Burnouts.

"NOOOO," shrieked Naoki. "I'M TOO PRETTY TO DIE!"

"Careful Naoki. I think Ao is really contemplating your death this time -- whether it be burning you alive or burying you live, I'm unsure."

Naoki laughed.

A snarl ripped through the leader's throat and her leg flew through the air and collided with the back of Naoki's thigh that resulted in a sickening _thud _that echoed around them from the impact. A hiss sounded from between Naoki's clenched teeth and she returned the kick by thrusting the heel of her hand upwards into Ao's bottom jaw.

Maya watched with lazy eyes.

_At least they're training some._

Her eyes strained to see the movements that were followed by nauseating _thuds _and _crunches_. Ao pulled her wrists free from the manacles created by Naoki's hands and elbowed Naoki in the throat and spun her arm reverse clockwise, forcing Naoki onto her knees, her feet still pushed her forward. Panting heavily, she hooked an arm around Ao's ankle and pulled. Her left Burnout lost its grip and the right one followed, not too seconds after. Unable to push her feet against the brick, she curled into a ball and spun to face down, rather than the impact hitting her back.

Maya watched without being able to do anything. Naoki was unconscious at the foot of the wall, blood dripping from many places on her face and arms - clothing obscured the rest.

Ao waited for the collision with the rain-wettened cement, but only felt the air soften from the thrashing to a light, upward draft.

Uncovering her eyes she saw a shadowed face looking down at her with eyes like ice - though it made her blood run hot in her adrenaline filled veins. Unable to look away, she studied the features of the dark face.

The eyes stood out against pale skin, thought it was hard to tell with no illumination falling on it. The cheekbones were high and the chin was thin and slightly pointed - a female face. Black hair fell in ripples around the feminine face. Finally the stranger's feet touched the ground and Ao blinked, watching Maya jog up to them with bewildered eyes.

The unfamiliar girl flashed a brilliant smile at them and Ao tried to smile back, her lips pulling taught in a grimace; A bell laugh, sounded from her savior.

"Thanks," Ao whispered, unable to find her voice fully - it cracked in peculiar places. Clearing her throat she tried again, not trusting her voice fully yet, but was cut off.

"Don't thank me. I paid you back for watching the show," she smiled. "Is she going to be okay?" The girl, looking down upon Maya and Ao with icy eyes, gestured to Naoki, who was just beginning to stir.

"Yeah. She'll be fine. Maybe she broke a rib, but that's all. The clash was softer that it looked," Maya answered.

Naoki looked up then, giving a half-hearted wave. "She'll be more annoying than ever, now that Ao kicked her ass." From the wave Naoki let her fingers and thumb fold in so that only her middle one stood. "See?"

Ao chuckled. "Yeah. That's our girl."

"Who are you?" Maya has now shifted her questioning gaze to the stranger.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Cold Fire - Rin."

Ao nodded. "I'm Wolf Scar leader of the Starburn Elements. My birth given name is Ao. This is Dark Detainment - Maya. Over there is Water Skimmer - Naoki."

Rin smirked. "I know who you are. All along the East Side you're famous. Your whole team, not just the main squad - which is you three. Do you even know how many people represent Starburn Elements?"

"Sixty-two?" Maya laughed at her joking question, but Rin simply shook her head.

"Ha! That would hardly even make up the Western Area of the East Side. If you count all over - North, East, South, and West - you'd have well over 2,000 people representing your squad."

"HOLY SHIT! I knew we were well known, but I hadn't realized that so many people had begun representing us in battles!"

Rin nodded, grinning from ear to ears. "And," she interrupted Maya's fantasies of a "mega squad", "I've brought you paper work about _all _your members and representatives."

Ao's eyebrows shot up and her eyes finally took in the large black bag that was partially obscured from sight by Cold Fire's back.

"Holy shit! That thing is going to eat us!" Maya gasped, hiding behind Ao.

Rin sighed and placed the bag of papers on the cement, being careful to set it on a dry spot. "It's a lot, but it shouldn't take you more than three days, if not four."

"Three days?! We need to train! We'll lose if we don't and then we'll lose our territory and our members. And - and- "

"Hush, Maya!" Ao commanded in an authoritative voice. "We do need to train so how about a compromise? After our match at Roaring Winds we'll fill out everything - no matter the time limit and the carpel tunnel inducing work." Turning, she motioned to Naoki to come to them. "When she was near enough she spoke, "Naoki, I need you to take Maya home so she can rest - she's the walking dead right now, and we need her to be at full strength for tomorrow's training session with Yumi."

Naoki nodded and bowed at the waist, "Yes, Leader. Come, Maya." Maya began following Naoki out of the training area at a very slow pace.

When out of ear-shot of Ao, Maya leaned on Naoki and muttered in her ear, "What crawled up your ass and made you so submissive?" By this point, Maya was questioning Naoki's sanity.

"Nothin. C'mon. You need to sleep."

Maya grunted in response.

Ao watched the two until they disappeared from sight and turned back to Rin.

"You really care for them a lot, don't you?" asked Rin.

"Of course, but that's not the issue as of late. Now, down to business. Who sent you?" Ao's eyes became icy as she spoke.

"Pardon?"

"Who sent you here?"

"No one sent me. I came of my own accord. I-I wanted to meet you." The girl looked away, a slight pink flushing across her ivory skin.

Ao sighed and sat on the curb, stretching out her long legs to there full length and stretching her arms out in front of her. "Sorry. There's been a lot going on, so I was merely wondering if maybe you had been sent by Inori or Roaring Winds." She paused, thinking intently for a brief moment. "Cold Fire, eh? How'd you pick that up? I know I've heard it somewhere. In the North if I recall correctly."

Sitting beside Ao, she laughed, nodding her head in slow, deliberate movements. "Yes, I'm originally from the Northern Squad - the Silencing Queens. When I first joined I was a rookie that new everything about Burnouts and Air Treks as well. Ringo was my idol back then - I wanted to be just like her. I knew everything about Air Treks and Burnouts - from which pair went the fastest and which pair caused the most damage when doing physical battles - and that was why I was accepted into the Queens' group, but I had never ridden them in my life." She paused to curl her arms around her knees and pull them to her chest. "I was technical and relied on numbers, but that didn't help me when I first started riding. My first pair of Burnouts were Maladroits- one of the best types out there - and when I finally mastered my own technique I found that when I rode them they gave off blue sparks and after riding were cold to the touch - so cold they gave you 1st and 2nd degree burns, depending on how long you had been riding. They reminded me of dry ice. When I battled, I left my enemies in a cold fire and then they erupted into blue flames after I crashed - my Burnouts I mean."

Ao looked at her feet and noticed that she wasn't wearing Burnouts. "Have you given it up?"

Rin nodded, "I'm not allowed to fly anymore - as Simca would say, 'You've broken your wings; the sky is no longer yours until you can find the one who will heal you.'"

"You know Simca?"

The girl turned her face towards Ao, grinning, "She was the leader of the Silencing Queens."

Ao chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "But you told us you were a lone rider and yet you can no longer ride?"

"I am a broken rider looking for her healer, to put it in words that can be partially understood."

Nodding, she replied simply, "I see."

Rin looked up at the dark sky and mumbled almost inaudibly, "Do you really?"

The silence became deafening at the two sat side by side on the concrete without saying a word. Ao surveyed her surroundings, the imitation arena that Maya had built to resemble Roaring Winds' arena.

The tall, square buildings were mainly metal with hardly any windows and most only had one door to be seen from the front. The street was two-laned with slim sidewalks bordering each side. Lifting her eyes, she could see the risen hill that Naoki had crashed on and studied it. Looking at it from below, she could see slight waves in the asphalt that made for a difficult ascent, but was inconspicuous in the long run. Every turn on the hill had to be taken with caution, Ao realized, as the corners were subtle yet sharp.

"Well, you should probably go check on your friends and to your wounds - the blood is dry and crusty now." Rin lifted her hand in front of Ao's face, and moved her hair away from her forehead to examine the cuts on her forehead where the blood was drying.

Ao froze instantly at the touch and Rin pulled her hand back as if she had been electrocuted. The corners of her lips turned down slightly.

"Sorry," Ao murmured, looking at her feet. She shifted uncomfortably and began to stand, the awkward silence penetrating her calm. "You're right; I should be getting back. Where are you staying tonight?"

Rin stood as well and replied smoothly, "I'm not particularly sure. A hotel, I guess."

Ao hesitated before making her offer, "Would you like to stay with us for the night, at least until we can figure something out? We don't have much room, but it should be better than some dusty, old hotel." Smiling, the girl stood by Ao and nodded.

"If it's alright with you, I will."

Ao nodded in response.

Without thinking twice, Rin linked her arm through Ao's and laced her fingers through the leader's. Ao blushed, but did not object to the warm touch.

* * *

***

* * *

When the two arrived at the two story apartment, Rin was supporting most of Ao's body with one arm around her waist. Opening the door with one hand, she dragged Ao's body across the threshhold and shut it behind her when the two were inside.

"Which way to your room, Ms. Leader?" Rin asked with a light smile.

Ao nodded to the hallway, her eyes halfway closed. "Down the hall - second door from the bathroom; you'll know it when you see it," the girl replied with a thick, sleepy voice.

Without another word, Rin let go of Ao and dropped to her knees, swiftly catching the leader on her back. Rising again, she quickly made the short trek down the dark hallway to the door she had been told was Ao's.

"Yep, it's definantly hers," she murmured to herself. The door was plain black with simple silver writing etched into the steel. There were few words: 'Caution - Wolf Scar at Work; Door is closed when dangerous to enter.'

Placing her hand on the handle, she turned it and pushed the door - which was cold to the touch when she shouldered past it - inward; the room made Rin gasp in utter astonishment.

Shelves of Burnouts and parts took up nearly every inch of space on the two walls that didn't have a large desk and her bed taking up the space. A glass box was screwed to the wall above her bed that held their emblem - a strange-looking bunny with an eyepatch covering one eye and an 'X' for the other eye. The lips of the bunny were curved up into a viscious smile, the canine pointed and sharp as well as colored a bright green - green being Ao's favorite color, it made sense - while the ears were orange and purple.

Parts of Burnouts and AirTreks littered the floor, shelves and the metal desk that took up the southern wall, which was opposite of Ao's one-person bed. The eastern wall held parts for Air Treks - wheels, bases, blue prints, everything one could need to build an intricate AT - while the western wall was mainly set up for Burnouts.

"Oh, my god..." Her sentence trailed off as she lay Ao on the bed and went to examine the desk further, her eyes shining with delight and excitement, and a peculiar curiosity. She picked up several parts that she couldn't identify and set them back down, frustrated by her inability to put names to them. Everntually, she strode over to the door, and with a quick, pained glance back at Ao, exited the room with lithe steps.

Her hands reached her bag - which had been layed by the door when they had first entered the apartement - before she had stopped moving, which nearly catapulted her into the couch the bag had been set by. Dropping to her knees, she dug through the large duffelbag and found the headset she had been searching for.

Placing it on her head, she turned a small knob on the side of it and spoke softly into the mouthpiece. "I'm in. Wolf Scar is currently asleep and the others I have not seen since the fight on Aimes Hill. You can send her in about two hours. By then I will have gotten everything prepared. Yukino Ourna, 2A36B, ready and in position."

A windchime voice sounded through the earpiece. "Do not stand in my way, Cold fire, or I will obliterate you as well as the them." A chill ran down Rin's spine as a cold laugh followed.

"Understood, Leader." Her voice was a tortured sound.

"How many times must I tell you to call me your Queen?"

"I apologize, my Queen. It will not happen again."

"Good girl. Now, hurry and set up before I arrive or you will suffer the same fate as those mongrels, and you wouldn't want that to happen, would you, Yukino, my sweet?" The voice was dark and taunting with a dark edge to it that Yukino - Rin - knew all too well.

"No, my Queen, I would not." The line cut off and Yukino fell forward, her hands shaking as tremors rolled down her spine.

Once the trembling subsided, she pulled at her sleeves being sure they covered her arms, and rose. I'm doing this all for you, Rima. Tears ran down her cheeks, without her knowledge, as she set to work on changing the locks.

Minutes passed, and she struggled to keep the noise muffled and quiet. It was only thirty minutes later when she finished with the locks and began to rig the lights.

Another twenty minutes passed before she checked the clock. Finishing the rest of what was needed with the lights, the girl sat back and pulled on a pair of thick gloves that were specially designed for what she was about to do.

Standing, she crossed the room with a few quick steps and ran her hand across the wall, across the sliding glass door and onto the floor in front of it. Slipping off the gloves, she folded them inside out and set them on the couch while she dug through the bag. Blindly, she ran her hand across the bottom of it until her fingers ran over a small metal object that fit easily in her hand.

Pulling it out, she examined the small piece of steel. Her thoughts went backwards to what the item expert had taught her when she had first joined the Queens.

_"This item is the Lightning Bug. Now, don't be intimidated by the name – it doesn't really produce lightning; it simply converts electricity into a tamable form. Using these gloves-"she held up a pair of bright yellow and black gloves, "-you create a route for the stream of electricity to follow until it hits something and then releases all the electricity that was running through the veins you created with the gloves." The auburn-haired woman was handling the gloves by the wrist cuffs and folded them inside out before touching any other part of it. "These are not fashion accessories – you must not touch the finger tips or the electricity current will become a part of your blood," Holding up the bug, she continued," And once you activate this, anything you have touched with the gloves will be electrocuted. Basically, you touch the fingertips and activate this sucker, then your blood evaporates. Please, use them for protection only._

Yukino's hands trembled as she stuck the Lightning Bug against the wall where it would be easily seen and easy to activate.

_I have betrayed them. I have betrayed myself. And most importantly, I have lost my wings._ As her thoughts faded, she watched a bird on the balcony – an ivory-white raven – look at her with eyes that resembled burning embers and ascended into the sky. Sliding the door open with her boot, she stepped out onto the balcony. Yukino clasped her milk-white hands together and looked up at the night sky, which was dotted with shining stars, and felt tears budding at the corner of her eyes.

"I want to be free, Rima. Be my wings. Help me fly."

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End of Chapter 2

Please look forward to reading Chapter 3: Broken


	3. Broken

A Note: Woo! I am back, not with the complete third chapter, but I hope it's enough to sate whoever is reading this, or at least trying to read what I don't have up [GOMENDASAI! I've been grounded for an awfully long time TT_TT] BUT! I am back and I will be updating as much as possible. Please, excuse my absence! I don't like being away, but it was an inevitable reality, but I am well on my way to having chapter three done, it's quite long, so I will have that up as soon as it is done.. -bows- Please enjoy this mild preview.. I guess you could call it that ^^;;

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A voice drifted in on a breeze from the open window, a cold voice with no emotion. The voice awoke Ao, leaving her chilled and making her skin crawl, the goosebumps already risen on her arm from the draft entering the through the window. She shuddered as the voice faded, like a mist that melted away in the morning sunlight, and she wondered at what it had said as the words had all run together. Only the voice in her remained now and she yawned lazily, curious at the voice, but more curious about why her window was open. She stared blankly at the curtains as the night's quiet breeze ruffled them in a small whirlwind of black fabric that had the silhouette of the moon peaking through. Standing, she strode over to the window and breathed in the cool air, clearing her mind until the voice was a somewhat distant memory that was only slightly away from her thoughts, for now. Smiling, she noted how much more peaceful the world was when the cloak of midnight was placed upon it; it was much more enjoyable than the daytime when everything was loud.

With the smile still painted on her face, she grasped the edge of the window and pulled on it, sliding into the slight cradle that formed around it as it fit into the frame. Her brow creased in slight annoyance as she noticed that it didn't lock automatically, as it should have, and reached for the hand-held lamp that lay on her teels desk set up in the corner of the room. The light was disorientating as it illuminated the dark room and blinded Ao for a few moments as her eyes adjusted to the sudden light level of the room.

Examining the window, she found that it had been locked before being forced open from the outside which caused the lock to practically shatter from the force. The realization hit her like a car would: someone had been in the house and may still be in the house. Turning on her heel, she threw the lamp down, the lightbulb erupting in a fountain of glass shards that scattered around the metal it had been enclosed in. Flinging herself into the hallway, she nearly broke down the door to her friends' rooms, checking to see if they were alright, but found that neither of them were there, the sheets left unkempt and, obviously, not slept in. Biting her lip, she sped back to her own room and flipped the lightswitch up and cursed when nothing happened. Flipping it up and down a few more times, willing it to work, she hesitated before biting her tongue to keep a torrent of curses from falling from her tongue.

Giving up on the damned thing, she felt her way to the wall the her bed rested against stepped sideways until the side of her leg touched the cool metal of the bedframe she was familiar with. Turning, she grasped at the metal and pushed on it until it gave and moved against the wall she was faced towards. Retracing her steps, about four steps away from the bed, she placed her hands on the wall and felt downwards, insepcting every spot until she felt a slight bump the pertruded from it. It was about a foot from the ground and was the size of her palm; it couldn't be seen, only felt if you were looking for it. Pushing very gently on it, she felt it move inwards about 3/4 inch and stop, blocked by something. Gingerly working her fingers into a groove on the side of the square piece of the wall that she moved inward, she pushed it slowly to the side and listened for a light click that sounded when it was in place.

She moved quickly as she set a few more pieces into place and then searched inside a small cubby that was now exposed to her, though she couldn't see into it. Her hand knocked against metal and she wrapped her fingers around it, pulling it out in one moment and having the square, metal box open in another. Moving over to the window, she smiled at the sight of a pair of Burnouts that shone in the moonlight. The words "Starburn Elements" were neatly inscribed on the side of them. The emblem seemed to glow in the luminsecent light of the full moon, and she ran her fingers over it, nostalgia washing over her.


End file.
